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| Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National) |
Seasonal rental fraud is an emerging trend with students looking for suitable accommodation around August, before the start of the new term. Fraudsters use a variety of websites to advertise available properties to rent, often at attractive rates and convenient locations. Adverts will seem genuine, accompanied by a number of photos and contact information to discuss your interest. Due to demand, students will often agree to pay upfront fees to secure the property quickly, without viewing the property, only to discover that the fraudster posing as the landlord does not have ownership of the property, or often there are already tenants living there. Protect Yourself
- Only use reputable letting companies.
- Do some online research such as using Google maps to check the property does exist.
- Make an appointment to view the property in person.
- Always view the property prior to paying any advance fees.
- Look out for warning signs, such as landlords requesting a ‘holding deposit’ due to the property being in high demand.
- A landlord will usually conduct some due diligence on any successful applicant. Be wary of handing over cash without the landlord requesting employment or character references.
If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
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| Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National) |
There is a phishing email currently in circulation that claims to be from the City of London Police. The departments that it claims to represent include the ‘Fraud Intelligence Unit’ and the ‘National Fraud Intelligence Bureau’. The email is titled ‘compensation fund’ and has a letter attachment that claims to be offering financial compensation to victims of fraud. The letter uses the City of London Police logo. The letter states that in order for compensation to be arranged, the receiver of the email should reply disclosing personal information. It states that HSBC and the South African Reserve Bank have been chosen to handle the compensation claims. All of these claims are false. The email and letter are fraudulent and should not be replied to. Protect Yourself
- Opening attachments or clicking links contained within emails from unknown sources could result in your device being infected with malware or a virus.
- The City of London Police and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau will never email you asking for you to disclose personal information.
- If you believe you have become a victim of this fraudulent email get your device checked by a professional and make a report to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk
